At Armchair Adventure Festival 2026, we’re thrilled to welcome Stu Skinner MBE , expedition leader, record-breaking adventurer, and founder of the mental health charity Head Outside . Stu’s latest project, Postcards from the Peaks , is a story of endurance, connection, and tackling loneliness. Over the course of his journey, he carried a 26kg Royal Mail postbox to the highest point in all 15 UK National Parks , inviting over 250 people to join him and sending more than 1,000

Who she is: In 1982, aged just 23, Elspeth Beard set off on a 35,000‑mile solo motorcycle journey around the world — riding a vintage 1974 BMW R60/6. What makes her legendary: She paved the way for a new era of women on two wheels, riding around the world at a time when motorcycle adventure wasn’t yet a well-trodden path. Her book Lone Rider has since become a touchstone for adventurers and dreamers everywhere — inspiring countless riders to chase their own journeys. Why her